Where your heart truly lies
by Island Heart
Summary: It's been two months since the Pharaoh went to the afterlife and he moved on and so did everyone else. But if Yami has successfully accomplished his mission, he still feels incomplete. What could it be the reason of this loneliness? YamiAnzu
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi everybody, this is Island Heart! If you're fond of YamiXAnzu pairing then, welcome to my world! Because I LOVE them soooo much!**

**I won't keep you waiting, guys! But before I let you discover my first fic, I want to thank all the kind people who helped me to write this story and supported me all along! You are all great!**

**And a special thanks to Izida ! Thanks for everything my friend !!**

**Summary : It's been two months since the Pharaoh went to the afterlife and he moved on and so did everynone else. But if Yami has successfully accomplished his mission, he still feels incomplete. What could it be the reason of this loneliness? ****YamiXAnzu, JoeyXMai, SetoXSerenity and YugiXRebecca**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Kazuki Takahashi is the only owner of this awesome manga!!!**

**A/N : I don't own any of the characters, except for the character called Martina, she's Anzu's best friend, she's 19 years old like Anzu.**

**On with the story!!**

**Chapter 1: Loneliness and memories**

Egypt, one evening

Leaning on the balcony of his royal chambers, the Pharaoh Yami gazed at the surroundings of his vast kingdom. It's been almost two months now, that he dueled the last time against his alter ego, Yugi, lost against him and went through the doors leading to the death realm.

Yami knew for a long time that the day would come when he would have to leave. The day when he will have to leave his friends, to be reunited again with his fellow Egyptians, in the world called the Afterlife, the place where he belonged. After all, even endowed with awesome magical powers, Yami was nothing more than a wandering spirit, without corporal envelope, amnesic and searching for his past! However, even if he knew this moment was inevitable, the confrontation and the experience for this desperate moment was much more painful than he could have ever imagined!

Leaving all of his friends, the only ones who really count, who helped him in the research of his identity and supported him till the end, broke his heart!

But he did it. He had left them.Without a farewell, without a look, without a hug. He was gone. If he had cast them a look, he would have seen their tears, their face full of sadness, he would have certainly never have the courage to leave. He left them, in the remains of this antic dilapidated temple, with his back to them while his friends were crying behind him.

Yami with an empty look and his mind filled up with images of his friends, let out a painful sigh : Yugi, Joey, Tristan and Anzu. Why did he not hug each of them at least one last time in his arms? At least once? He wanted so much to tell them how grateful he was for their friendship, for their presence beside him, no matter what happen!

But it was too late. Yes, too late.

"I fulfilled my destiny!" he said out loud, in a grave and fatalistic tone, as if he wanted to insist on the tragic aspect of his whole existence. And maybe also to convince himself that he has made the right decision. But something of him seemed to tell him of the opposite.

An inexpressible pain difficult to explain, kept tear out his heart. A feeling of emptiness, immeasurable emptiness, began to invade him.

Yami, suffocating from anxiety and anguish, began to tremble.

The weather was not cold. He was not cold. It was the fear, the fear of emptiness, of a nonsense existence, of a life without a reason to live. At least, in the past, he had his friends next to him, friends he used to laugh with, people with whom he could talk about anything.

With them beside him, he never knew the loneliness.

"When you will feel alone, remember this mark!"

The Pharaoh's eyes shot open suddenly.Anzu. It was Anzu's voice. Yami raised his hand in front of him, remembering the mark that the young girl has drawn on their hands so they can always remember that even though, they'd be separated, they remember this bond, that had linked to them : Yugi, Joey, Tristan and….Anzu.

The Pharaoh's eyes softened a little at the thought of the young brown haired girl with azure eyes.

"Anzu…." He let out in a desperate sigh.

(Near to the palace)

In the royal garden, down on Yami's balcony, the Pharaoh Akunumkanon looked up to the sky, but he was not looking at the stars in the sky, he was looking at his son, Yami. Since his arrival, Yami has been awfully sad and this worried him.

"I will find out what's bothering him and I swear I will do everything to make him smile again!" he promised to himself while walking silently away.

(Scene change)

Domino city, 12 : 10 AM

"Oh noooo! I lost again!" shouted a very desperate Joey, a hand on his forehead while complaining on his bad luck in duels against his best friend, Yugi Muto, also known as the "King of games"! The three friends Joey, Yugi and Tristan were duelling on a table at Domino school, during the lunch, Joey betting against the tricolour haired boy a double cheese burger with a coke if he wins the duel. But as we all know, luck was definitely not a word in Joey's vocabulary! And as usual, he lost!

"Sorry Joey! Maybe next time, you will have more luck!" Yugi replied nonchalantly, picking and putting his cards in his pocket.

"Luck! I think luck is not sufficient in his case! For Joey, he ought a real miracle!" Tristan said in a teasing tone, trying as usual to push Joey out of his limits by his jokes.

"Shut up Tristan or else, I will make sure this mouth of yours will never say a word again!" the blonde haired guy said in a threatening tone, gritting his teeth.

Tristan just grinned even more.

Yugi smiled at the sight of his friends in front of him as usual. He loves these simple moments, their bond was very strong no matter what may happen to them, they always managed to get through everything together! This last word rang a bell inside Yugi's mind! Anzu, this was always her favourite motto, her leading thought in life. She never feared the unknown, she was always devoted to her friends and was the one who always cheered him up when he was depressed and sad about his uncertainty and fear about the possible appearance of a new evil!

But his friend was not beside him anymore! Anzu has left for New York, two months ago without a word, without an explanation! She has left a few days after the Pharaoh's departure! She has changed since that moment. She didn't talk to anyone and she always seemed distant and confused. And one day, she didn't come to school, the teacher told to them that Anzu has moved to New York to pursue a dance carrier on Broadway. Yugi and the others were stunned. They never expected Anzu to leave them like that with no explanation. They assumed she was depressed about something, and inside of them, the trio knew very well whey she has left.

Broken heart! Anzu was their friend and even if she didn't tell to anyone about what she felt, there were some details that couldn't be ignored. They all knew about her feelings for Yami. She always had this shining hope in her eyes when she looked at him during his duels, but this hope was gone when the Pharaoh has departed for the afterlife.

And since that moment, things were not the same anymore. Anzu has become cold, silent and withdrew herself into herself. Yugi tried to comfort her, he came to her house to tell her that her friends were worried about her and her strange behaviour. One night, he tried to ask her what could make her so sad, why she didn't go with them anymore.

Anzu listened to him for some seconds with absent eyes then silently closed the door without a word. This was definitely not the type of Anzu! Yugi sighed and came back to the Gameshop, knowing there was nothing he could do. Since that night, Yugi didn't have news from the brunette girl and he began to worry seriously about her.

This last memory began to upset him and slowly, Yugi turned his violet eyes from his two friends and looked towards the window of the classroom. "Anzu! If only I can do something to help you! " he told to himself.

(Scene change)

The room was full of people chanting and cheering her as she made her last move on the stage. The young girl had the most beautiful blue eyes that were ever seen and her pale skin was radiant as the bright light of the moon in the sky studded with stars. Her hair were shoulders length and swayed each time she turned around creating a sort of a wonderful halo around her.

She was a dancer, she was born to be a dancer. Her whole existence was built around this unique idea. And now, she has finally realized her dream! In New York, in Broadway, in the city where all dreams come true, where everything is possible! She raised her hands towards the sky, like a beautiful priestess invoking the gods, then she suddenly crouched down, her marvellous white linen dress floating around her like a small white cloud that just appeared from nowhere to protect her from the dirty ground.

The crowd was on fire, they cheered her and when she looked up, she saw everybody in front of her clapping their hands hysterically. She smiled and bowed her head, then exiting by a small door in the right side of the stage. On her way, she meets some girls with multicolour dresses. They were excited and congratulated her.

"Oh Anzu, it was great! You have a prodigious talent!" one girl said.

"Yes you're the best of all of us Anzu, I think you'll surely get the lead part in the upcoming show!" the second girl said.

"Girl, it was awesome! You should do the teaching dance class, instead of this stupid "Mrs Noodle" (her real name is actually Mrs Neagle! But who never made some jokes on their teacher's name?), she's so boastful about her past as a dancer." The third one said.

Anzu smiled to them, she was glad to have them beside her. They were so gentle and kind towards her.

"Thank you guys, but I think this success tonight is also yours! Thanks to your encouraging words, I became more confident and stronger than before!" She hugged each of them and bid them good night.

As she turned the handle of her dressing-room, Anzu heard a familiar voice coming from behind her.

"I hope you didn't intend to go to bed without giving me an autograph! But maybe now that you're a star, you have already forgotten your best friend?"

Anzu turned her head. A tall beautiful and thin girl around 19 with long blonde hair and green eyes was standing there, a hand on her hip, smiling to her. Anzu smiled widely and threw her arms around the girl.

"MARTINA!" Anzu said while hugging her tightly.

Martina was her best friend since her first day in New York city. They have met at an arcade game and since Anzu had nowhere to live, Marina has offered her a room in her large apartment (her family is rich but Martina tries to be independent). They both have the same passion for the dance.

"Ah! Anzu! Please, let go, I can hardly breathe!" Martina said returning her hug.

The brunette girl gently moved away from her best friend and giggled.

"Sorry Martina but I'm feeling so well tonight! Have you seen my dance?" Anzu asked her excitedly.

Martina nodded.

"It was awesome Anzu! Really, you have made fantastic progress since that day when…" the blonde girl stopped suddenly realizing what she was about to say. She just hoped Anzu has not noticed her mistake but unluckily for her, the brunette girl has perfectly heard her last words and her smile faded away almost instantly.

"Anzu, I'm sorry, I didn't intend to remind you this day, I ….." she trailed of but she didn't have the chance to go on because Anzu has already entered her room and closed the door behind her, leaving Martina outside. The blonde girl sighed, whispering "I'm sorry, Anzu!" She lowered her head and walked back to her own dressing-room which was not very far away from Anzu's room.

Anzu leaned her back against the door and closed her eyes. She was not mad at her best friend for the words she said. She knew Martina didn't intend to hurt her, Anzu trusted her more than anyone else but she couldn't take it when the memories she tried to forget so desperately came back to her.

The night was wonderful, you can see by the window millions stars brightly shining in the dark blue sky like a river of diamonds on a dark silk carpet.

But Anzu didn't notice it. She kept her eyes closed and silently slid towards the ground. She stayed like that for several minutes, then she broke into a long painful crying. Her tears fell down from her azure eyes, they seemed like endless lines of water with transparent crystal glittering in the dark of the room.

"Why? The young girl said between her tears. "Why am I thinking of him again? Why can't I just get him out of my mind?"

"Is everything ready?" a hooded man asked

"Yes, my Lord!" two other men with a woman replied.

"Great! Then, let's carry out my plan!"

Anzu continued sobbing and crying not noticing a strange light coming from her jewel box. This light became more and more intense and Anzu finally noticed it. She peered inside her jewel box and saw it ; there was surrounded by her different necklaces and bracelets, the cartouche she gave to the Pharaoh before he entered the memory world.

When the Pharaoh discovered his real name, he decided to engrave his name on one side, so he would never forget it. The night before he left for the afterlife, he gave the cartouche to Anzu thanking her for everything she did for him. It seemed that he wanted to say something more but he just remained silent for a moment and then he left her.But if the Pharaoh's name, Atemu, was engraved on one side of the cartouche, there was nothing on the other side, nothing until now! Anzu's eyes widened in surprise.

"What's happening? It must be a dream!"

As the cartouche continue glimmering, strange inscriptions slowly began to appear. By seeing the scriptures, Anzu knew it was in Egyptian. She took the cartouche and carefully raised it in front of her. The item began to shine more intensely, so intensely that Anzu was blind. She closed her eyes tightly. And soon, she became weak. Her head was racing and she felt sick and nauseated.

"Why am I so weak? I'm not tired! What's happening to me?" as she slowly fell down on the ground.

(Outside)

"Anzu? Are you okay? Please, open the door! What's happenned? What is this light coming from your room? Anzu, answer me, please!" Martina banged on the door of her best friend's room. When she received no answer, she asked one of their bobyguards to break the door. He did as she told. And as soon as the door was broken, she run past him and entered the room.

She almost gasped at the sight in front of her : there laid in the middle of the room, the scattered clothes that Anzu wore this night, but the most strange this is….there was no Anzu!

"She has disappeared!" Martina whispered touching her best friend's clothes then saying "Anzu, what's happened to you? Where are you?"

(End of chapter 1)

**The Pharaoh "Akunumkanon" (sorry if I spell it wrong!) is alive in this story. I know he's dead in the manga but I needed him for this fic.**

**A/N : That's for the first chapter! R/R please!**


	2. The truth within your dreams

**Hi, I'm really sorry for the delay! I can't believe my story received so many reviews, I mean, only for the first chapter! I feel so relieved! I'm only a beginner on Fan Fiction and I'm so glad to have some people being interested with this fic! I hope you will like this new chapter and I'm sorry if my first chapter confused you! Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers!**

**Izida**

**Dark Shining Light**

**Tolken of the mist**

**AnzuAtemu4ever**

**16 forever**

**DancersandPharaohs**

**JourneyMaker**

**Yamiviva**

**Yami getting a little impatient: When will you begin your story?**

**Island Heart: Calm down, Yami! Why are you so impatient? (evil smile) Don't tell me you're worried about Anzu? Oww, our little pharaoh has a crush on our lovely brunette girl ?**

**Yami blushing: No, I don't. Anzu is just my friend…I just want to know what's happened to her.**

**Island heart: Well, I can only tell that she's…..he he, you want to know, Yami? Then read chapter 2 like all the other readers! No favouritism!**

**Yami glaring at me: GRRR!**

**A/N: The couples will not appear in this chapter yet, sorry, but I promise they will be in the next chapter! However, many things will be revealed in this chapter like….he he, you want to know what? Then, let's go!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own "Yu-Gi-Oh!"! If I do, there would be more romance and Yami would have kissed Anzu before leaving for the Afterlife….or maybe even more than a simple kiss…he he (giving a suggestive look to Yami)**

**Yami blushing furiously: ISLAND HEART!!!**

**Island Heart: He he! I hope I'll still be there to write chapter 3! Yami is kind mad at me!!I have to go! Bye!**

**Chapter 2: The truth within your dreams**

New York, Broadway, 10 p.m

Martina was tired. The officiers of the Departmental Police was there, searching for some clues that could help them to understand what happened to her best friend, Anzu Mazaki. Martina called them immediately after Anzu's disappearance but they didn't find anything that could help them to find Anzu. They questioned everybody in the Broadway theatre, the dancers, the assistants, the manager and even some persons who were on the audience this night. But they felt completely unable to cope with this case, they were totally lost.

It's been nearly three hours since the brunette girl disappeared, leaving her white costume in a complete empty room. And there was still no answer about her disappearance. Martina couldn't help but think that her best friend has been kidnapped. But there was no trace of fighting or breaking. It was really strange. She tried to think of all the other possibilities, travelling her eyes around the room searching for any thing that could help her, when she saw a photograph of Anzu and her on the hairdresser.

The blonde haired girl with green eyes sighed desperately taking the photograph in her hand. "Anzu where are you? What happened to you?" She thought silently in herself.

Martina remembered the day when she met Anzu for the first time.

She just had a fight for the umpteenth time with her parents who wanted her to change her mind about her future. They wished her to pursue a lawyer carrier like them but Martina didn't have the same ambitions. Her dream, like Anzu's, was to become a dancer. This was her only reason of living but her parents didn't seem to understand that fact. They were too stubborn. They wanted glory and success for their unique daughter, they wanted her to receive all the honours they never had. She was like the incarnation of their dreams, their inner hopes.

Martina went in the Arcade game, the only place where she felt happy, where she felt at home. She hoped that she could dance the contest game called "Dance revolution", her favourite game. Whenever she came here with her friends during her rare leisure times, Martina couldn't help but played this game. This game was actually like the oxygen she needed in order to survive her boring and difficult life.

When she entered the room, Martina was quite surprised to see that there were already two girls fighting in the "Dance Revolution contest". As she approached the stage, she noticed in particular the incredible grace of one of them, one brown haired girl with beautiful blue eyes. Martina never saw someone moving with such a grace before. Her dance seemed to breathe the music, each of her movements seemed to be in complete harmony with the rhythm of the song. Martina was really impressed.

When the song finally came to the end and when the brown haired girl won effortless against the red head girl, Martina walked towards the stage and challenged the winner without hesitation. This stranger girl was really talented and Martina was sure it was her unique chance to fight for the first time against a real opponent, a worthy opponent.

She only wanted to prove to herself and maybe unconsciously to her parents her own abilities as a dancer. The stranger girl looked at her for some seconds and after a moment of hesitation, she smiled and nodded confidently.

The contest was tough but soon Martina gained the advantage and won. The brunette girl was astonished. She has been beaten by a complete stranger, an ordinary girl. But what she didn't know was that Martina wasn't an ordinary girl, she was the best dancer of the "Broadway dance school" and the rising star in the world of dance.

The brunette girl was lost in her thoughts. She has gone, she has left her family and her friends to pursue a dance carrier in New York and now she has been beaten before she even has the chance to enter the dance school. She couldn't stand anymore and cried. Martina felt sorry for the girl and hugged her. The brunette girl seemed to calm down and thanked her.

Soon, the two girls became friends.

"Hello, my name is Martina." The blonde haired girl said stretching her hand.

"Hello, my name it's Anzu, it's a pleasure to meet you." The brunette girl gently replied shaking her hand.

Since that day, the two friends became inseparables. Martina offered to Anzu a room in her large apartment. Martina told Anzu everything about herself but the brunette girl seemed to be a little hesitant to tell her story. However, when she saw that this silence bothered Martina, Anzu finally decided to tell her everything. She told her about her adventures with Yugi, Joey, Tristan and….Yami. By her way of saying his name, Martina clearly saw that this man called Yami held a very special place in Anzu's heart.

Anzu didn't deny having deep feelings for the spirit of the Millenium puzzle but he has gone without even looking at his friends, he has gone without knowing her feelings for him. Anzu confessed that she was broken hearted and that she was unable to forget her love for him….Martina felt really sorry for the girl and made her best to comfort her. The blonde haired girl had also trouble believing such an incredible story about an old 3000 years spirit of an ancient Pharaoh reincarnated in the body of a young adolescent.

But she began to believe more and more Anzu's story, especially when she suddenly noticed a strange object lying on the ground near to her feet and in the middle of Anzu's clothes…the cartouche of the Pharaoh. She took the cartouche in her hand and examined it. It has some curious inscriptions on each side. She assumed it was some sort of incantation written in an unknown language. Maybe it was in Egyptian.

This time, she was sure. Anzu's disappearance was undoubtedly connected to the Pharaoh Yami and she was determined to find more information about him. She took Anzu's notebook where her best friend listed all her friend's numbers. She searched for Yugi's name, the only person able to answer to her questions, picked up the phone and dialled Yugi's number.

"Hold on, Anzu, I will find you, I promise you." Martina told to herself.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Somewhere in the desert of Egypt

"Where am I?" Anzu asked silently to herself while slowly opening her eyes. The brunette girl was so weak, she still felt a little dizzy as if a deep and thick fog kept overwhelming her mind. The brunette girl was laid on her stomach, her face against the ground. She felt a shooting pain and a perpetual ache in her head as if a dozen knives were plunged inside of her mind, tearing the depths of her soul. Anzu was very surprised to feel hot sand underneath her. She tentatively gazed at the environment around her and saw that she was in the middle of nowhere, a place she didn't knew and who looked like a desert, with plains of sand as far as the eye can see.

"Is it real? Why am I not in my dressing room anymore? Where are my friends? Martina?" Anzu questioned to herself. She tried to straighten up but after three seconds, she fell down.

What was this place? Was it a dream?

The last thing she remembered was the cartouche of the Pharaoh shining in her hand then nothing. Darkness. A complete and impenetrable darkness. She didn't know what's happened to her after that. And now, she awoke in this strange desert, completely alone and completely naked! Yes, she was aware of her missing clothes but she didn't care.

She was too tired to care about it. She was alone under the hot sun of the desert and she was certain that nobody would come for saving her. At this thought, her mind travelled to the Pharaoh.

"Yami, you were always there for me whenever I needed you or whenever my life was threatened but now….I am completely alone!"

The brunette girl thought she was going to die and waited for the death to come.

"Maybe it's better like that!" She said in a defeated tone "I have nothing on earth that hold me back, that is worth to be lived…..and maybe I will finally find the rest I've been waiting for! I will be able to forget all my pain, all my love for him…I feel so lost without you, Yami! Why did you go? Why did you leave me?" she silently cried, tears falling on her cheeks while she closed her magnificent blue eyes.

After a moment, Anzu fell unconscious again, completely exhausted not noticing a strange silhouette walking towards her and gently picking her up in his arms and bringing her in a safe place.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Egypt, royal palace

Yami was in a tough situation. He was on the verge of a hole and someone he couldn't see kept telling him to jump in this hole. He refused doing that, he said that there was nothing that could force him to do such a crazy thing.

"What is the thing that your heart cherishes the most in the world?" The strange voice said.

He didn't know why but when Yami heard these words, an image of Anzu appeared in his mind. He decided to put this thought aside and a confident look appeared in his eyes again, like in every duels he joined in the past.

"I don't know….many things, I suppose….my father, my friends, my kingdom…" Yami replied slowly. The fact that he had to confess his feelings to this strange voice disturbed him a little.

A moment of silence.

"This is not the answer I expected" the mysterious voice said. In order to know his kind, a man must know himself firstly, he must know his own heart. Do you know your heart, Pharaoh?"

Yami a bit confused just kept silent. The voice said again.

"If you want to know what is there in your heart, jump in the hole!" Yami hesitated.

"Don't worry, you will only receive the answers to all your questions and you will finally understand why you've been so troubled these last days." The voice said reassuringly. The tricolour haired man widened his eyes. How did that strange voice know about his confused feelings? He never confessed his worries to anyone. But somehow, he knew that all his questions would find an answer in this hole. So he jumped in.

When he opened his eyes again, he was in a beautiful meadow with red and white roses everywhere. And he saw her. Anzu. Sitting in the middle of them, her back to him.

"Anzu!" Yami cried overwhelmed with joy as he ran towards her, opening his arms ready to catch her.

"Anzu, I'm so glad you're here! You can't imagine how much I missed you!"

But as he held her tenderly in his arms, he saw with horror little drops of blood falling from her short brown locks on her forehead. Her eyes were half closed and were gazing at him impassively and motionlessly as if she was already dead.

Yami was terrified. He never saw Anzu as pale as she were at this moment.

"No, No please Anzu! Be alright! Please" He said in a trembling voice while stroking her soft hair with his right hand.

Anzu moved a little at Yami's voice, she looked up at him:

"Why did you go? Why did you leave me Yami?" She asked him with tears welling up in her eyes. Then her head lowered and she closed her eyes, a last tear escaping from her eyes and falling on the ground. She was dead.

Yami couldn't resist anymore, he cried helplessly, burying his face in her soft brown hair. "NOOO, ANNZZUU!"

Yami suddenly awoke with a start. His amethyst eyes travelled around him. He was in his bed in the royal palace. It was just a dream or rather a nightmare. His whole body was covered with sweat. His bare and tanned chest raised and fell in a hasty pace as he breathed heavily. His heart pounded like crazy and his arms were extremely tensed. The Pharaoh sat up and put a hand on his forehead trying to calm down and remained in deep thought for a moment.

"What a strange dream?" The young Pharaoh told silently to himself.

It felt so real! He still could sense Anzu's hands in his own and her fragile body against his chest, her words echoing in his mind. Yami lowered his head and his blonde bangs fell on his face, covering his sharp and beautiful amethyst eyes. Since his arrival in the Afterlife, he kept having nightmares about his friends, and especially about Anzu.

Yami always deeply cared for Yugi's best friend. Anzu was an example to follow, the girl was so kind, sweet and brave at the same time. Yami always admired her for her strength, her passion, her personality and her devotion towards her friends. Thanks to her, he was able to discover his true identity. If it was not for her, he would never have the courage to visit this museum exhibition where he learnt about his past as a Pharaoh. He had a great debt towards her and he never really thanked her for everything she has done for him.

And seeing Anzu hurt and dead in his sleep was more than he could bear. He never admitted it to anyone, even Yugi, but Yami did care for Anzu. Not as a friend cared for another friend but as a man who wanted to protect the only treasure that he possessed on earth. He remembered the question the voice asked to him in his dream "What is the thing your heart cherishes the most?" He tried to hide his true feelings behind his family, his obligations, his duties as a King but no matter how hard he tried, Yami knew that he could never lie to his heart.

Yami felt a little depressed, he needed to take some fresh air in order to forget this horrible dream and to clear his mind. He went out of his bedroom and began to walk through the corridors. As he was about to enter the garden, he saw his father walking hurriedly towards the palace.

Yami looked at him suspiciously. His father had a very strange behaviour for some weeks. He was always lost in his thoughts and kept walking alone in the royal garden at night. Many times, he tried to ask him about his activities but the Pharaoh Akunumkanon always avoided the subject. Yami didn't like the idea of his father keeping something secret from him. He made a promise to himself that he will know the reason of his strange attitude. But for the moment, the handsome Pharaoh just wanted to forget his bad dream. And as he walked further in the garden, surrounded by red and yellow roses with intoxicating scents, something still plagued his mind and kept echoing in his ears. Anzu's last words. "Why did you go? Why did you leave me?"

Yami whispered softly: "Anzu, if only I could have a new chance…maybe you and me…" he trailed off, as he stared up at a shooting star that just crossed the sky.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Egypt, Desert of Kul-Elna

Under the hot and scorching sun of the desert, a caravan composed of about fifty camels and horses with some carts made its way towards the north of Egypt. The sun lights slowly disappeared on the horizon while the first stars started to shine timidly in the orange sky mixed with violet clouds.

The horses were exhausted and the men also began to feel tired. They had sold many of their merchandises in the main city of Cairo and now, they were heading to their homes.

The leader of the group, a tanned bearded man with dark eyes who was heading the path motioned the rest of the caravan to stop for the night next to an oasis. The man dressed in a long white tunic with a rather thick brown and green coloured coat on his shoulders, dismounted his horse and made his way towards the last cart of the caravan, he slowly drew the veil aside and asked the little girl who was quietly sitting inside:

"Is she awake, Layla?"

"No, she isn't awake yet, the girl named Layla replied, she's still deeply asleep."

The man kept silent for a moment.

"Tell me when she'll awake" he said before leaving her.

The little brown eyed girl with long dark hair silently nodded and looked down at the young girl laid on the bed next to her. She was the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. Her brown silky hair gracefully framed the perfect oval of her pale face. By seeing the paleness of her skin, they concluded that she wasn't Egyptian, maybe she came from the North.

They have found this young girl yesterday morning in the midst of the desert sands, without any clothes on her, without anything, her pale and fragile body stretched out defenceless and merciless under the hardness and the hotness of the desert sun. According to the caravan members, this stranger girl was a slave who escaped her masters but has been attacked on her way by some robbers. Maybe, she tried to go back home, to go back to her country of origin.

They had many explanations, many suggestions about her identity, her origins, how she has arrived in this place, why she was completely naked and many other things but all their questions remained unsolved, without response. At their great surprise, the girl was miraculously unhurt, her perfect body had no bruises or rough treatment marks.

The little tanned girl plunged a little piece of cloth in an earthenware pottery bowl full of water that was on the small table next to the bed. She put the wet cloth on the girl's forehead and the stranger girl moaned and winced a little at the coolness of the fabric pressed against her skin.

"Don't worry", the little Egyptian girl whispered in a soft tone, "we will protect you, whoever you are, we will take care of you until you feel well, I promise you."

The young beautiful stranger girl seemed to calm down at the little girl's voice.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Egypt, somewhere near the royal palace

"What? You don't know where the girl is!" the hooded man shouted in indignation.

The three persons didn't dare to look directly at him afraid of what he might to do to them.

One of them, one of the two men, finally devoted himself to speak :

"We don't know what's happened", he said slowly, "we are sure that the young girl is here in Egypt but…." He trailed off not daring to continue.

"But?" the hooded man insisted getting more and more impatient.

"We don't know in which part of the country she has been sent…" he finished in a small voice.

"WHAT!" the hooded man exclaimed furiously.

He remained silent for several seconds without saying a word, his head lowered and his eyes closed. Then he ordered in a threatening tone.

"Find the girl immediately and bring her to me or I swear you will all be impaled alive! Now, get out of my sight! I'm tired of seeing your incompetent faces in front of me!"

The three persons didn't need much persuading, they all slipped away in a second.

The unique remaining person in the room was the hooded man. He was staring into space, deep in thought, then he slowly removed his hood, revealing his hair and his face. It was Yami's father, the Pharaoh Akunumkanon!

"I only hope nothing happened to this girl! What was her name? Oh yes…Anzu! I need her for my plan, I have to find her quickly!" He said with a glint of determination in his dark eyes as he left the secret room hidden in the underground of the royal garden.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

**End of chapter 2**

**A/N : That's all for this chapter**

**Yami : No, I didn't find Anzu yet, you have to continue!!**

**Island Heart: I will, my dear just leave me a review and I could give you the next part right now!**

**Yami: But I'm a character, I can't leave any review!**

**Island Heart: Oh, too bad! (faking a disappointed face)**

**Yami: GRR!**

**He He, I have to go now before I get killed by Yami. **

**Please, let me know what you think, leave me some reviews! Have a nice day, guys!**


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